Dirigible airship.



A. J. LIVERSEDGE.

DIHIGIBLE AIRSHIP. APPLICATION. FILED MAY 7, I917. RENEWED MAR. 3,1919. 1,300,746.

Patented Aprl 15, 1919.

ALFnEn-JoHnmvEnsEneE, on ennon, ENGLAND.

IDIBIGIBLE Amsrirr.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented-ApI3 15, 1919.

.Application filed ma 7, 1917, SeriaLNo. 166,933. :enewearramn 3, 1919. s al in. 280,490.

To all whom itmay concern;

Be it known that I, Ame) John Lw e; SEDGE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirigible Airships, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and connected with dirigible airships, and has reference tothe construction of air ships, particularly of the rigid type, in which there is provided a framing of metal or other suitable material, and has for its object particularly to provide additional means of defense and offense, and also means to facilitate the escape of the crew, in the event of the airship being obliged to descend at sea. The invention consists broadly in the provision of a turret structure of rectangular box or boat like form adapted to be suitably housed in the upper part of the airship structure under normal conditions, but capable of detachment from the airship at will so that in the event of said airship sinking in the sea the turret can be readily floated off or launched into the water.

In order that my invention may be the better understood reference is made to the acoompanying' drawings in which Figure 1 is a cross section through the turret boat.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional elevation, and

Fig. 3 a plan view.

Corresponding letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of these vlews.

Referring to these drawings A designates the turret boat, B, B longitudinal girders of the framing of the air ship which girders are connected at the ends by transverse members. 0, C C C are radial members which radiate from a central tubular member running the length of the airship. These radial members are connected to the longitudinal girders preferably by steel connec tions as indicated. D, D D are hollow chambers made of thin plywood, aluminum sheeting, or other suitable material, and are intended to act as floats. These hollow chambers which are preferably cylindrical are preferably attached to the turret boat by any suitable form of straps. E, E are longitudinal girders which I may make of bamboo with steel connections constructed of steel tube, or other suitable material.

I These girders rest at each end on the junctached either by steel connections or simple binding to other members G, G G G. -G to G are in turn connected to the lower members of the longitudinal girders and to the cross members H, H These girders with their ties constitute a cradle in which the turret boat rests as shown, rails being provided on the boat at J, J to keep the boat in position. The turret boat may also be further secured in its position in the airship by straps L tying together the floats D D and the longitudinal girders B, B These ties are preferably of rope, web strapping or other flexible material that admits of being immediately severed by means of a knife. Thus the boat structure normally is firmly secured to the airship, 'but in the event of the airship falling into the water and sinking, it is only necessary to cut the straps tying the boat to the longitudinal girders and as the water rises through the structure the boat will be floated off. K is a ladder passing up through the body of {)he airship and giving access to the turret oat.

I do not limit myself either to a particular form of boat or to any particular means of securing the boat in position. It is obvious that various modifications may be adopted, while retaining all the essential features of the invention. It will be appreciated that the boat, raft or other flotable structure may be kept provisioned and may be utilized normally as a platform for guns, searchlights or like accessories.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In dirigible airships, an upper structure rigid with the airship structure, a floatable structure adapted to be housed within the rigid structure, longitudinal girders on the rigid structure for supporting said floatahle structure, and temporary lashings for detachably securing said floatable structure to said rigid structure.

2. In dirigible airships, an upper rigid structure forming part of the airship and composed of longitudinal and transverse girders supported by struts, a fioatable structure in the form of a boat, floats attaohed to the boatlike fioatable structure,

and lashings for temporarily attaching the floats to the rigid structure 7 8. In a dirigible airship, a detachable and floatahle boatlike structure, a rigid girder structure permanently attached to and forrning part'of the airship structure and forming a cradle to receive the floatable structure, longitudinalgirders supporting the hull of the floatable structure, cross stays supporting said longitudinal girders, further lon-v gitudinal girders adjacent the gunwale of the floatable structure, and lashings for temporarily attaching the floatable structure to these further longitudinal girders.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALFRED JOHN LIVERSEDGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0. 

